If you’re not a big fan of the Human Element, the automated umpire can’t get here soon enough. Yet a part of us will miss the human side of calling games.
Because as boring as baseball can be sometimes, imagine what will it be without the eye-popping, vein-bulging, chaw-spitting, cap-turning, venom-spewing, finger-wagging brouhahas to liven it up between those slow walks from the bullpen? The thought of a bewildered manager with his fist raised at some electronic gizmo upstairs doesn’t exactly send a thrill up our leg.
There’s a method to the madness, of course. Some managers can’t seem to get the hang of it. Others can turn the slightest of slights into a Pepto-Bismol moment. So before they go the way of 2 1/2-hour games, let’s flip our lids to some of the best communicators/connivers/spit disturbers ever.
Warning: Beef with any of these, buster, and you’re outta here!